LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE WITH RASPBERRY CURD
This has got to be my all time favorite. Wow!! These mini cakes blend lemon and raspberry flavours so wonderfully. The lemon poppy seed cake is a dense crumb cake and very smooth. The raspberry curd is bursting with flavor. The buttery creaminess with the raspberry is incredible. Don’t make the mistake of not putting enough in the layer. I chose to go with my favorite go to icing - cream cheese icing and added a lot of lemon to the icing.
To make the mini cakes, bake the batter in a 9x13 pan and use a cookie cutter or a round lid and cut around it to make 6 small cakes rounds. Cut them in half horizontally and fill with the raspberry curd. We had fun snacking on the leftovers, but discovered they also are great with the leftover curd in a trifle. Ashley made a trifle in a container to haul back to university. So it didn’t look to pretty, but tasted great. We whipped some cream. Folded some into the curd and topped it with fresh berries. Leftovers should always be this good.
So be prepared to put some time into making the mini cakes. They are worth it though.
I’ve made the cute mini cakes and a 3 layer 9 inch cake and both are winners. I like to make my layer cakes ahead and freeze them. Once I have the filling and icing made, I start putting the cake together. It instantly sets. It cuts down a lot of time waiting for layers and scratch coats to set. It also has to sit and thaw. I like to let the cake sit after it is all put together. The flavours blend and it tastes better.
It takes way less time to make the larger cake and it’s just a delicious. Way easier over all. But if want to make an impression, go with little cakes. Either way, you can’t lose.
LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE WITH RASPBERRY CURD
Keywords: dessert Easter cake
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tbsp poppy seeds
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1-400 gram package frozen raspberries, thawed
- 5 large egg yolks lightly beaten
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 heaping tbsp cornstarch
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 pkg cream cheese
- 6 tbsp butter
- 3 cups icing sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Garnish with fresh raspberries
Instructions
CAKEPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9×13″ cake pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a bowl. Set aside.
With your mixer, beat the egg whites on medium until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
With another bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until mixed.
Mix in the lemon zest. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add 1/4 cup of the milk and beat until just blended.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the remaining milk. The mixture is very thick.
Beat until just blended.
Using a rubber spatula, fold one quarter of the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
Once incorporated, add in the rest of the whites and gently fold in until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes – 9x13; 20 minutes – 3, 9”round.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
RASPBERRY CURDMelt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the thawed raspberries. Or if you like me and forgot to thaw them, dump them into the pot with the melted butter. Let them slowly thaw and medium-low.
Mix together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and corn starch. Mix until smooth. Add the raspberry/butter mixture and cook, mashing the berries. Make sure to add the egg mixture before the raspberry/butter mixture gets hot or you will have a mess on your hands.
Stir frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.
ICINGCombine softened cream cheese and butter. Beat until fluffy.
Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix.
Gradually add icing sugar. Beat until fluffy.
ASSEMBLECut the cake into rounds as desired for 6 individual cakes. Split the cake in 2 and fill with raspberry curd. Or if you are making the 3 layer cake, place the raspberry curd between layers.
Put on a scratch coat of icing and chill till the icing is firm. (A scratch coat is the first coat of icing that seals the cake and gives it its shape. So the layers should be smoothed out. It usually does not look at all finished. Once the cake is chilled, the final coat of icing goes on so much smoother. It makes icing a cake way easier.)
Once the cake is set, do a final coating of icing.
Decorate and garnish with fresh raspberries as desired.